Time Prophecy
by Lady-Sci-Fi
Summary: THe Enterprise and the Defiant have chased the Cardassians to 21st century Earth. An accident leads to a teenage girl discovering a few members of the crew. What role will this strange girl play in the events to come? Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

This story is based on a dream I had.

Disclaimer: All TNG and DS9 characters and ships are not mine. Anything unrecognizable is mine.

Reviews are welcome.

Time Prophecy

"Well, when are we going to Scotland?" my friend, Eva, asked.

It was the last day of school. My friends, Eva, Lloyd, Zach, Sherri, and Brian, and I were allowed to go to Scotland for a month, without our parents. Lloyd and I were fifteen, Sherri and Eva were sixteen, and Zach and Brian were seventeen.

"Next week sounds good." Sherri took out a train schedule. "There's a train that leaves at two PM next Friday."

Sounds good," the rest of us said in unison.

Then the bell rang for last period.

"Meet at the tennis courts?" asked Lloyd.

"Of course," I replied.

Finally, after an hour and a half, the last bell rang. I ran out of the building and was the first one at the tennis courts. Soon after, Lloyd, Sherri, and Brian arrived. Then Eva and Zach five minutes later. Both had their arms full of art projects they had done throughout the year.

The six of us were typical military teens. Our families were stationed at Lakenheath and Mildenhall air force bases in England. We all lived in the same neighborhood off-base and we hung out together in the near-by British town.

After checking in at home and dropping off our backpacks, we went into the town. We did our usual routine of checking out the stores and walking through, talking about various things. The one thing we always looked out for was Seifer's gang.

Seifer was a sixteen-year-old British boy. He wouldn't have been so bad to run into on his own, but he hung out with older guys who didn't have a problem with beating people up. At least we'd only had verbal confrontations with them.

I glanced down an alley as we passed by it. What I saw made me stop in my tracks. Three people were standing near the back of the alley, talking. That wouldn't have been so strange if it hadn't been for what they were wearing. They all had on some kind of uniformed jumpsuit. The pale-skinned and the brown-skinned one had wore yellow and black ones. The younger one, who looked about sixteen, wore a grey one.

"Tegan, my friends called. "Come on."

Usually, I wasn't this curious, but I really wanted to know about these three. I was drawn to them. So I told my friends, "Go on without me, I just remembered that I have to be home in fifteen minutes."

"What for?" Brian was the first to ask.

"My parents are going out soon and I have to watch my sisters."

Alright," said Zach. "See you tomorrow. We'll be sure to tell you if we run into Seifer."

"Bye," I called out before turning back to the alley.

The three strangely dresses guys were still there, talking. I walked down the alley to them. They noticed me when I was fifteen feet away.

"Can we help you?" the brown-skinned one asked. A cool-looking device covered his eyes. It looked like futuristic sunglasses. The pale-skinned one had yellow eyes. All three seemed out of place.

"It's a bit early for Halloween," I told them.

They looked at eachother, then my clothes, then their own clothing.

"Oh…well, this isn't for Halloween," said the boy.

"Then what are they for?" I asked.

"Do you know where we are?" the pale man asked, avoiding my question.

"Lakenheath Village, England," I answered.

"And the date?"

"June twentieth."

"The year?"

"2006. Why do you ask?"

"We didn't know," responded the brown man. "We were in an accident a couple of days ago."

"Well, you three obviously need help. And… I'm willing to give it to you. What are your names?"

"Wesley Crusher," said the boy.

"Geordi LaForge," said the brown-skinned man.

"Data," answered the pale one.

"Data?" I echoed. "That's it? No last name?"

"Correct. I have no surname."

"Interesting. You're going to have to think of one. I assume that none of you have any money."

"Your assumption is correct," Data replied.

"Man, have I hit the jackpot," I muttered. I paced for a moment, thinking out loud. "You can't go walking around like that. I'm going to have to get you clothes. But from where…?" I stopped pacing. "Of course. Alright. You three stay here and look as inconspicuous as possible."

"Where are you going?" asked Wesley.

"To the military base. You can't come because you don't have security clearance. I'll be back in half an hour. Just don't move."

I came back half an hour later with a bag full of clothes from the military clothing drive. I took Data, Geordi, and Wesley to the nearby McDonald's to change. We went back to the alley after they were done.

The clothes that I had picked for them fit perfectly. I was glad my mom had given me tips to getting clothes for people who weren't with you.

The three of them looked good. Wesley had on blue jeans with a green t-shirt. Geordi wore jeans with a dark red shirt. Data had black jeans with a neutral grey shirt so that his unnaturally pale skin wasn't too noticeable. But something still wasn't right.

"Wesley, you're fine. Data, you can easily pass for an albino, but I can't really do anything about your yellow eyes. If anyone asks, just tell them that you wear yellow contacts. Geordi…" I paused to take out a pair of sunglasses. "You can't wear whatever is on your eyes. They look like really cool, futuristic shades. You'll end up getting jumped for it."

"Jumped?' Geordi asked.

I raised my eyebrows at his question. "Beat up or possibly killed for something someone wants that you have."

"Oh. Well, in that case," Geordi said before taking off the device.

When he did, I saw that his eyes were milky white. "Are you blind?" I asked.

"Since I was born," Geordi confirmed.

"But, you were alright when we went to McDonald's. And you looked right at me when we met," I replied in disbelief.

"I… I'm a test subject for this new medical technology. The visor helps me to see," Geordi said.

"Really? Still, I would suggest that you not wear it. At least in public."

The blind man nodded. Then I noticed two glowing red electronic things on the sides of his head, near his ears.

"Geordi, may I touch your face?" I asked.

He nodded. I gently brought my hands to his face next to his eyes and let my fingers trail back to the electronic 'bumps'.

"What are these?" I asked.

"They keep the visor in place," was his answer as he took my hands in his and removed them from his head.

I gave him the sunglasses and turned back to Data and Wesley.

"I don't believe you told us your name," said Wesley.

"Tegan Lanson," I replied. "Now, we have to figure out where you'll stay."

"Why not with you?" inquired Data.

I let out a short, barking laugh. "I rarely even bring my friends over. It would be pretty weird if I brought home three complete strangers." I looked at my watch. "Mr. Barbier should be home in a couple of hours. We can see if he'll let you stay until we can find a more suitable place for you," I suggested.

"Who is Mr. Barbier?" asked Geordi.

"He's my band teacher at school. He lives in this town. He's a good guy. I'm certain he'll help you out."

"We will agree," replied Data.

"Good. We have a couple of hours. Let me take you somewhere."


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to do weekly updates.

As we walked, with Data holding Geordi's arm to guide him, Wesley asked me questions.

"What instrument do you play in the band?"

"The flute. I can also play the piano and guitar."

"Data can play any instrument. But he prefers the violin. Have you always lived here?"

"No. I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, then lived in Texas, Michigan, Maryland, Japan, then here."

"I've lived the same type of lifestyle. Always on the move."

"Were your parents military?"

"You could say that."

"So, where are you parents?"

"My dad died when I was little. I was just recently separated from my mom."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's alright."

"How did you end up with Data and Geordi?" I asked.

"They're friends of my mom. She works with them. Then I discovered my prodigious talent for engineering and started working with them."

"Your mom's an engineer?"

"No, she's a doctor."

"Have you got other friends?"

"Not really. People my age are usually intimidated by me. Geordi's a bit shy when it comes to people. And people are very intimated by Data because he's a… because of his strangeness." Wesley smiled.

"And naturally, you three gravitated towards eachother," I commented.

Wesley nodded. "What about you family and friends?"

"Two younger sisters, two parents, five friends."

"Only five? I would think that someone as intelligent and… beautiful as you would have more than five."

"I don't like being in large groups of people. I also value my solitude."

"I do hope we're not intruding on your valued solitude," Geordi responded.

"You're not. I was with my friends when I saw you."

"You left them to get a closer look at us," Data said.

"Yes. I feel like I was meant to meet you."

It took fifteen minutes of walking to reach a creek outside of Lakenheath Village.

I sat down near the water and closed my eyes. "We're far enough away to not to hear the cars. Hardly anyone comes here. They don't have time for natural beauty and peace."

"You're right. It is peaceful here," Wesley agreed, sitting down next to me.

"Geordi, we're alone here. You can wear your visor," I told the blind man. "We're staying here for the next hour. I'm going to meditate."

"Meditate?" Geordi echoed.

"I set aside at least an hour everyday for it."

"Do you consider yourself enlightened?" Data asked.

"More enlightened than anyone else around here. Now if you don't have anymore questions…." I sat cross-legged and lay my hands on my knees, palms up.

I wasn't disturbed until forty-five minutes later, when we heard loud laughing. I turned to see who was coming. It was Seifer and his gang. Geordi had already switched out his visor for the sunglasses.

Let's go," I told my three new friends.

As soon as we had started walking away from Seifer, half of his gang ran in front of us to block our way. We turned and came face to face with the rest of them. We were surrounded.

Seifer made his way to the middle of the circle that we were enclosed in. He looked the four of us over. He shook his head and said, "This is worse than your usual group," he commented.

"Really? I'd never thought you'd say that," I responded.

"Well, let's see. A geeky guy, an albino with yellow eyes, and…" he stopped to rip the sunglasses from Geordi's face. "And a blind guy. How did you come across them?"

"None of your business," I shot back.

"Really, Tegan, they look like a lot of trouble. Let me take care of them for you. Consider it a favor."

"The only favor I'd accept from you is to stop wasting my time."

"Here I came, found you, and sincerely offered to do you a favor, yet you respond rudely."

"I know what kind of care you'd give them."

"Still, they'd be off your hands."

I sighed. "Seifer, are you looking for a fight? If so, then stop talking and hit me."

The British boy grinned and threw a punch to my face. I easily cross-blocked it and flipped him over onto his back. He quickly got up and tried to hit me again. I grabbed his fist, then hit his chest and hook-kicked the back of shin at the same time, making him fall flat on his back. I kneeled next to him, holding him down.

"Would you like to know what I can do to you while in this position?" I asked Seifer.

The British boy shook his head vigorously.

"I'll tell you anyway," I said. "I can break your nose, knock you out with a backfist to the temple, break a couple of ribs… need I go any further?"

"N-no," Seifer stammered.

"I'll let you go if you leave me alone."

I let him go as soon as he nodded his head. As he and his gang left, he shouted to me, "This isn't over!"

I shook my head and turned back to my friends. "You know, that was the first time I've had to use my Kuk Sool Won training in real life." I walked past them and looked at the calm, flowing water of the creek.

Wesley put his hand on my shoulder. "You didn't have to do that for us," he said softly.

"Yes, I did. Someone has to put that boy in his place," I replied.

"And you've taken it upon yourself to do so. Well, who better than the Enlightened Warrior," Wesley smiled before embracing me.

When he let go, I smiled back and said, "We should go now. Mr. Barbier should be back soon."

'Soon' ended up being half an hour. We had sat down on my teacher's porch to wait for him. After he parked his car, he said to me, "Hello, Tegan. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." He glanced at Data, Geordi, and Wesley. "What's going on?"

"Could we talk inside for a moment?" I asked in reply.

"Uh, sure," Mr. Barbier said before unlocking the door.

As soon as the door closed behind the two of us, he asked, "Who are those three sitting on my porch? What's going on?"

"I found hem talking in an alley, a couple of hours ago. And-"

"A lot of people talk in alleys."

"They were dressed in weird jumpsuits, like the ones from alien movies. They asked me where we were and what year it was."

"They asked what year it was?"

"Yeah. Even though I got them normal clothes, they still seem out of place."

"Where are they from?"

"San Francisco. They were in an accident of some sort. They weren't specific."

My teacher nodded in understanding. "And you brought them here because…?"

"I can't take them home with me."

"And you thought that since I live alone, I could take them in with no problem."

I turned to look out the window at my three out of place friends. "Nevermind," I said. "It's just my compassion going overboard."

"Your compassion saved me. I owe you for that."

I turned back to face him. "So, you'll do it?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," I replied, hugging him tightly.

When we let go, he said, "Bring them in."

Before I did, I told my teacher, "I will find a more permanent place for them to stay before I leave."

"Don't worry too much about it."

I opened the door. "Guys, you can come in now."

They filed in quietly. I introduced them. I saw Mr. Barbier's eyebrows rise at Data's name.

"Data?" my teacher echoed.

"My name is actually Darryl Jameson. My nickname is Data," Data explained.

"Well then, Wesley, Geordi, Data, make yourselves at home."

"Geordi, it's safe to wear your visor here," I told the blind man. He switched out the sunglasses for his special device. "It allows him to see. Without it, he is completely blind," I informed Mr. Barbier.

"And I can expect you back…?"

"Tomorrow at noon."

"Don't be late."

"When have I ever been late for your class?" I asked rhetorically with a smile before leaving.

I didn't get much sleep that night. Instead, I thought about how mysterious Data, Geordi, and Wesley were. And how I had become strangely attracted to them the moment I saw them.


	3. Chapter 3

Next chappie. I would like some more reviews. Please let me know what you think.

At ten o'clock the next morning, I called Eva. "Hey, Eva," I said into the phone.

"Hi, Tegan. Do you want to come with us to the community center?" Eva asked.

"What time?"

"Twelve thirty."

"I'll meet you guys there. Oh, just so you know, you guys won't see much of me for the next few days. I've got family visiting."

"Alright, see you at twelve thirty," my friend replied before hanging up.

I spent some time meditating before going to Daniel's house at eleven thirty. (I was now allowed to call Mr. Barbier by his first name because he wasn't currently my teacher). I took my time walking there and arrived in fifteen minutes. As soon as I knocked on the door, Daniel came out and asked, "May I talk with you for a moment?"

"Of course," I answered before sitting on the porch.

"It's about your three friends."

"What happened?"

"Nothing bad, just…strange. At dinner, Wesley ate more than his fair share of food."

"That's to be expected. He's a teenage boy," I interjected.

"I'm not done yet. Geordi ate a normal portion. But Data, he said he wasn't hungry and asked if he could use my computer."

"He didn't eat anything?"

"He didn't drink anything either."

"Interesting. Anything else?"

"Well, I told him he could use my computer. He got online and started doing extensive research. Then, Wesley found my video closet and asked if he could watch The Phantom of the Opera. After that, on my way up to bed, Data was still on the computer. I noticed that he was scrolling through the information at the highest speed." Daniel sighed. "Tegan, only a computer can read through information that quickly."

"What happened next?"

"I woke up at eight o'clock this morning and went downstairs. Wesley was sleeping on the couch, Geordi on the recliner, but Data was still on the computer. I asked him if he had been up all night. He told me he hadn't been tired. A few minutes later, he said he was done and woke up Wesley and Geordi. While I was making breakfast, I heard Data telling them everything he had found out. I looked up the sites he went to. He said nearly everything word for word. But there was no way he could've read it at the speed it was scrolling down."

"Did Data eat anything at breakfast?" I asked.

"No."

"Looks like we've got a mystery on our hands," I commented. "Well, at least now we know why they call him Data."

"Everything about him is strange. An albino with yellow eyes?"

"Didn't he tell you that he wears yellow contacts?"

"Yes, but there is no evidence of them. You can usually tell when someone is wearing contacts."

I opened my mouth to reply when the door opened behind us. Data, Geordi, and Wesley came out.

"We have good news for you," said Geordi.

"Wesley's mother has contacted us," informed Data. "Unfortunately, she cannot meet us at this time. We will travel to her in one week. Then we will be… out of your hair."

"Don't worry, Tegan. They'll stay with me for the rest of the time," Daniel told me.

"Thank you," was my response.

"None needed, I still owe you."

I nodded and turned to my three friends. "Come on. I have to meet my other friends at the community center."

We arrived there at twelve twenty. I told Data, Geordi (who was wearing the sunglasses), and Wesley what they could do. Then I went into the piano room and played a song that I had composed myself, called _Sol Y Lluvia_.

Five minutes later, Eva came in and I started playing _the Phantom of the Opera Overture. _When it came to the part of Christine Dais, Eva started singing.

_"In sleep he sang to me,_

_In dreams he came._

_That voice which calls to me,_

_And speaks my name._

_And do I dream again,_

_For now I find,_

_The Phantom of the Opera is here,_

_Inside my mind."_

I was about to sing the Phantom's part, like I usually did, when another voice sang. It sounded exactly like Gerard Butler.

_"Sing once again with me,_

_Our strange duet._

_My power over you,_

_Grows stronger yet._

_And though you turn from me,_

_To glance behind._

_The Phantom of the Opera is there,_

_Inside you mind."_

Then came the duet.

_"Those who have seen your face,_

_Draw back in fear._

_I am the mask you wear."_

_"It's me they hear."_

_"My/Your spirit and your/my voice,_

_In one combined._

_The Phantom of the Opera is there/here,_

_Inside your/my mind."_

Then came Christine's high notes with the Phantom's interjections of "Sing, my angel."

When the song ended, Eva and I looked around to see who the voice belonged to. It was…

"Data?" I asked the albino for confirmation.

Data nodded.

"Tegan, who is this?" asked Eva.

"This is one of my cousins visiting from San Francisco. His name is Darryl Jameson. Darryl, this is my friend, Eva."

They shook hands. "When, you sang, I thought you were Gerard Butler," Eva commented.

"Darryl is a man of many talents," I told her. "I didn't know that singing was one of them. But maybe it was just a good moment for his voice." I placed my hands back on the piano. "Eva, start at 'Who is that shape…' when I start playing."

_"Who is that shape in the shadow,_

_Whose is that face in the mask?"_

After a brief piano solo…

_"Damn you, you little prying Pandora,_

_You little demon,_

_This is what you wanted to see._

_Curse you, you little lying Delilah,_

_You little viper,_

_Now you cannot ever be free._

_Damn you… Curse you…_

_This lonesome gargoyle you see,_

_Who burns in Hell, but secretly,_

_Yearns for Heaven secretly."_

I stopped playing, glanced at Eva, and nodded.

"Very nice," she complimented. "He could easily have played the Phantom."

"Tegan, Eva, are you going to sit here all day?" asked Zach, walking in.

"We just finished," I said.

"Then come join us. Tegan, the two of us have a rematch at the pool table."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," I replied as Eva, Zach, and I went into the main game room.

"I'm going to kick your butt this time," Zach told me.

"Every time you say that, I win," I said back.

I spent the next two hours with my five friends. Then I told them I had to leave and not to expect to see much of me over the next few days. My reason was that my family and I were going on day trips.

"That's only fair," Sherri commented. "We'll have a whole month to ourselves."

I caught Wesley's eye and gestured to the door with my head. They took the cue and went out the door. I hugged each of my friends in turn, then left. Wesley, Data, and Geordi were waiting for me outside the door.

"Where are you taking us now?" asked Wesley.

"The creek," was my answer. "I'm determined to find out more about you three."

"You might be disappointed," Wesley replied in my ear.

"I will eventually find out your secret."

"You can try," the boy said, laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry about not updating earlier. I've had a very busy summer.

I spent the next four days between my family and my three new friends. They were still out of place, but Data was the strangest person I'd ever known. Wesley and I were getting closer. Daniel noticed this and would tease me about it.

At the moment, we were at the creek. I was lying down with my head in Wesley's lap, meditating. He was stroking my braided hair. Data and Geordi were sitting a few yards away.

I opened my eyes to find Wesley leaning over me. "You know, he said. "We only have two days left. We might as well make the best of it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting up to face him.

"You know what I mean," Wesley responded, leaning in to kiss me.

When his lips were a slight whisper on mine, I said quietly, "This shouldn't be happening."

"Let it happen. Don't fight it," was his gentle reply.

I leaned into the kiss. It was more than how I had imagined my first kiss would be.

I heard Data say to Geordi, "We may have a problem." I didn't care what they thought. This felt so… right.

When Wesley and I pulled apart, I told him, "That was my first kiss."

"It was mine as well," he said.

The four of us left the creek soon afterwards.

Daniel said to me, "Tegan, may I talk to you for a second?" as soon as we showed up at his door.

"Sure," I replied, following him into the kitchen.

"You have an odd look on your face. What happened?" Daniel inquired.

"You were right about Wesley and I. I've just had my first kiss. Daniel, you better not say it."

He smiled and said, "I told you so."

"Shut up," I responded, glaring at him.

Daniel glared back. We held it for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

"You better go home now," he told me.

"Fine," I replied.

The next day.

The four of us were at the creek, talking and laughing.

"Tegan, I have been meaning to ask you a question," Data said.

"Yes?"

A few days ago, while you and Daniel were talking on the porch, and we came out to tell you that we would be leaving the next weekend, do you remember?"

"Yeah."

"Daniel said that he still owed you. What does he owe you for?"

"In February, he was fired from his job at my school. That also meant that he would have to leave the country because he's here on a teacher's visa only. I, almost single-handedly, had meetings with the school administrators and persuaded them to reconsider. He loves teaching here and he's my friend. I had to do something. To make a long story short, I saved him from losing his job," I explained.

"Why was he fired in the first place?" asked Geordi.

"A few of the students didn't like him. But not everyone likes every teacher. So, there was no real reason why he was fired. All he does is try to make the school music program better. The situation is happening everywhere now. The people in power try to get rid of the good people who are trying to make the world a better place. The only thing the majority of this world's population wants is power. Power to wage war, fight, kill."

"What if I told you that we come from a civilization where all people are truly considered equal and we have good leaders who are mostly uncorrupt and driven by lust for more power," said Wesley.

"I'd ask you to take me o this place. Take me there so that I know that there is good in this world," I replied.

Silence passed for the next five minutes. It was I who broke it.

"Wesley, Data, Geordi, do you think that there is life on other planets?"

"Why do you ask?" Geordi responded.

"There are thousands, perhaps millions of other planets out there. Life can't have occurred only on this one," I told them. "So, do you believe in aliens?"

"Yes," the three of them answered in unison.

"When I say this, I'm being serious," I said. "I had a dream that one day, a man named Zephram Cochrane will invent a faster-than-light travel engine. Mankind will use his invention to make spaceships that will explore the galaxy and meet alien races. Then we'll unite in some sort of federation of planets. Come to think of it, it wasn't a dream. I was meditating at the time…" I noticed the shocked faces of my friends. "What?" I asked.

"Tegan, that's… that's one heck of a dream," commented Geordi.

"I know it is, but I have faith in it," I responded.


	5. Chapter 5

Here's another chappie.

Finally, it was Friday. I went over to Daniel's house at one o'clock to say good-bye to them. I gave Data and Geordi a hug, then kissed Wesley. "I hope to see you all again," I said.

"We hope to see you again as well," replied Wesley.

"Daniel," I said to my teacher. "I know I'll see you in a month."

"Have fun," Daniel said after embracing me.

"I will." Then I made my way to the train station, meeting my friends near the ticket counter.

We went to the back of the line and waited to buy our tickets. It was almost our turn when I realized that I had dropped my money bag somewhere along the way. I went to look for it.

I found it a couple of minutes later and returned to the line. My friends had already gone through and were waiting for me by the train platform. Right now, a man in some kind of robes was talking with the ticket vendor. Apparently, the man had no money, but needed to get on the train. Of course, the ticket vendor wasn't going to let him do that. The man looked like he belonged to a Tibetan religion. I decided to help him. I had more than enough money for two tickets.

"Sir," I said, standing next to the man, my hand outstretched to give him the money needed. "Sir, you dropped this."

"No, I did not," he replied.

"You did. I saw it fall out of your pocket. It's yours," I urged.

He hesitated before taking the money, paying for his ticket, and muttering a quick "thank you" to me. I watched as he boarded the train before buying my ticket and joining my friends.

The train was nearly full. We couldn't find six seats together. Brian, Lloyd, and Sherri found three. Zach and Eva sat together. I had to find a seat in a completely different train car. I didn't really mind, though. Then I saw the man who I had helped earlier, sitting by himself next to the window.

"Is this seat reserved for anyone?" I asked him.

"No, you may sit here," he answered.

I put my luggage away and sat down next to him. The man had silver hair long enough to cover his ears. His eyebrows were light grey and at a straight slant. I noticed that he didn't have any luggage.

Then he spoke. "I did not properly thank you for helping me earlier."

"It wasn't a problem," I responded.

"Why did you help me? No one else made a move to."

"I've noticed that most people are so wrapped up in their own problems that they don't care about others," I answered.

"That does seem to be the general mentality. I can tell that you are very different from everyone else. What is your name?"

I hesitated before saying, "Tegan."

"I am Sarek."

"Excuse me for saying so, Sarek, but you look like a priest or something from Nepal or Tibet."

"That is a logical conclusion," he replied.

"A logical conclusion," I echoed. "You sound like a friend of mine."

"One of the friends you came aboard with?"

"No, a different friend. His name is… Da-Darryl."

Sarek didn't look disappointed, but I could fell his disappointment.

"Tegan, you seem like a reserved, meditative person. Do you meditate?"

"One to two hours every day."

"That's impressive for one so young."

"I started almost two years ago. I-" I stopped when I saw Seifer coming up the aisle. He stopped when he reached me. "Seifer, what do you want?" I demanded.

He ignored the question. "Tegan, you are friends with the weirdest people in England. I mean, look at this freak. Who wears clothes like that? And what's with the hair and the slanted eyebrows? Honestly, Tegan, you can do much better than this." I saw people looking to see what was happening.

"It is illogical to judge a person by their appearance," Sarek said in response.

"Shut up, old freak. You're already on my bad side as is," Seifer growled.

At this I stood up and said to the British boy, "For what? Being different? Look, Adolf Hitler Junior, people are different whether you like it or not."

"Maybe they shouldn't be."

I shook my head in disgust and turned back to Sarek. I felt a rush of air as Seifer tried to hit me from behind. I ducked and, as his fist went over my head, grabbed his wrist. From there, it was easy to put him in a wrist-lock. I didn't let him go until he said he would leave us alone. I didn't sit back down until his gang had left the car.

"You did not have to defend me like that," Sarek told me as the spectators went back to whatever they were doing.

"Seifer needs to learn how to accept people," I replied. "I don't enjoy hurting him, but I won't let him hurt other people if can help it."


	6. Chapter 6

I am soooo sorry about not updating earlier. I just had the urge to start another story. I had every intent of getting back to this one.

Please….please review. It inspires me to update quicker.

Hours later.

It had become wet and rainy outside, putting a lot of the train's occupants in a tired state, Sarek included. He was asleep, his head being supported by his arm against the window. I looked at the window and saw a strange reflection. The hand Sarek was sleeping on had pushed up the silver hair covering his ear. In the reflection, his ear was pointed.

Once again, my dormant curiosity was aroused. I glanced around to see if anyone was watching. No one was. I turned back to Sarek and slowly started to push up the hair covering his ear. I froze when he stiffened a little and mumbled, "Amanda, you know that is not our way."

I resumed exposing Sarek's ear when he was quiet. It looked pointed…or maybe I was just tired and seeing things. Still, my sense of touch wouldn't lie. I traced the outline of my ear, then traced his. Sarak stirred again. "Amanda, as agreeable as that would be, it is not our way."

Yes, his ears were definitely pointed. I let the silver hair fall back into place. I would ask him about it when he woke up.

Sarek awoke an hour later.

"How was your nap?" I asked.

"Agreeable."

I nodded my head. "You were dreaming. If you don't mind me asking, who is Amanda?"

"Amanda is my wife."

"Where is she now?"

"I am not accustomed to sharing details of my personal life."

"I'm sorry for intruding."

After a moment, he said, "We were separated. I do not know where she is right now." His face remained as unemotional as possible, but his eyes told a different story.

"You were separated from someone else as well," I stated.

"My son. We were in an accident."

"I'm sorry. I hope you find them." Wesley, Geordi, and Data also claimed they had been in an accident. Could it have been the same one? "I know why you wear your hair like that," I told Sarek.

"What reason would that be?" he wondered.

I leaned in so that no one else would hear. "You have pointed ears. You do know that pointed ears are a stereotypical alien characteristic. The other is green skin. Come to think of it, your skin does have a slight green tinge to it."

"You are very observant. I was born with a unique-" he started to explain.

"You don't have to explain it to me. But you can't let anyone else know."

"I had not planned on letting you know in the first place."

"You must've been born at Roswell," I told him.

"I was not born at Roswell," Sarek protested.

"It's a joke. You know, Roswell and the supposed big alien secret. Everyone born at Roswell supposedly looks and act weird," I explained.

"Ah," was Sarek's reply as his eyebrows raised.

I spent the rest of the trip talking with Sarek. One thing that got me excited was that he knew how to do joined meditation. He called it a 'mind-meld.'

It had stopped raining by the time we arrived at the tourist villa. It was a village of houses of various sizes for tourists. My friends and I had reserved a family-sized one.

Sarek and I unboarded the train. I saw my friends gathering together and went that way. A few seconds later, I heard Sarek grunt and call out my name. I turned and came face-to-face with a member of Seifer's gang. I saw Sarek getting up from the ground.

"What does Seifer want now?" I asked the gang member.

"Nothing too fancy?" he responded before raising a hand to strike me.

Before I could do anything to defend myself, Sarek came up behind him and pinched him where the neck met the shoulder. He dropped to the ground, unconscious.

I looked at Sarek in wonder. "Whatever that was, you'll have to teach it to me."

By this time, my five friends had seen me and come over.

"There you are," said Lloyd. "How was your-" he noticed Seifer's friend laying on the ground. "Isn't that…?"

"Yes," I answered. "Seifer sent him to beat me up. This man helped me," I explained, indicating Sarek.

"Didn't you help him at the station?" Sherri asked.

"Yes, she did," Sarek answered. He turned to me. "Thank you for your help, Tegan. My debt is repaid." He bowed slightly and headed off in the direction of the train's former occupants-the check-in building.

"Interesting guy," Brian commented.

"You have no idea," I muttered.

"What was that?" asked Eva.

"I said that it's getting late. We don't want the line to get too long."

We went into the check-in building and into the family-house line. We were done at about the same time as Sarek. As we looked for our house, I noticed which one Sarek went into. Number thirty-two. My friends and I were number fifty-three.

The house had two large bedrooms with four beds in each., two bathrooms, a kitchen, a central room, and a laundry room.

The boys settled in one room while we girls settled in the other. By that time, it was ten o'clock at night. We were tired, except me. We put on our pajamas and laid down on the beds in our rooms. My friends were asleep in half an hour. At eleven o'clock, I put my jacket and shoes on. Then I went out the door, taking care to relock it.


	7. Chapter 7

Next chappie. Hope you like. Please review.

I made my way to Sarek's house and knocked on the door. I knew he wouldn't be asleep because he told me he usually meditated until midnight.

"Come," I heard his muffled voice say from within.

I turned the door handle and quietly walked in. Sarek was sitting on his knees on the floor in front of a lit incense candle. His eyes were closed and his fingers were separated in the shape of a V, fingertips barely touching.

I sat on the floor across from him, waiting for him to finish. I only had to wait a few minutes. Sarek looked at me when he was done, expecting me to say something.

"You shouldn't leave your door unlocked at night," I commented.

"I was expecting you," he responded. "You expressed great interest in learning from me."

"That interest is still there."

Sarek nodded. "I would expect nothing else from you."

"You have expectations for me? But you have known me for less than hlf a day."

"I am very perceptive. What would you like to learn from me?"

"First of all, whatever it was you did to Seifer's friend."

"Ah. The Vul… the neck pinch. To do it successfully, your mind has to be disciplined enough. I'll help you get to that point."

"I'm willing to learn anything you see fit to teach me."

"That is surprising for a Hu… a person as young as you."

After my lesson, I went back to bed. I woke up feeling more relaxed and refreshed than I ever had before.

"I told you guys to try meditating before going to bed," I said to my friends as we ate breakfast.

"It doesn't make sense that someone who stays up an extra hour or two isn't as tired as we are," remarked Sherri.

Zach let out a light laugh. "You know what?" he said. "We're one heck of a group. Eva and I are artists, Lloyd is an actor, Brian is a singer, Sherri is a scholar, and Tegan is a scholar and spiritualist."

"Someone once called me an 'enlightened warrior,'" I told my friends.

"Really?" replied Brian. "Who?"

"It doesn't matter. He's gone now." I shook my head to clear the sight of Wesley Crusher from my mind. "Anyway, what's on the agenda for today?"

"There's a big festival going on," answered Eva. "It's not far. About a forty-five minute walk.

Every night, I went to see Sarek. The fourth night, we were going to do the 'mind-meld'.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" he asked. "It can be dangerous, if not done correctly."

"Sarek, I have complete trust in you," I told him with sincerity.

"I have trust in you as well, Tegan. In the mind-meld, you have the ability to view the other's memories. I will not pry through you memories. I trust you to not pry through mine."

"I won't."

"Good. Come here."

I moved until I was sitting on my knees about a foot away in front of him. Sarek brought his hand up and gently pressed his fingers to the side of my face.

"My mind to your mind…my thoughts to your thoughts…our minds are merging…merging…they have become one," Sarek said softly.

I could feel Sarek's mind in mine. His was highly disciplined, more so than mine could ever be. Everything had a reason, a purpose. There were hardly any random or stray thoughts.

'Do not be afraid,' Sarek's voice said in my mind.

'I am not afraid, only cautious,' I replied in kind.

'Let your thoughts be. Let my thoughts be yours.'

I let us, in essence, become one person. I didn't know how much time passed before we made the mutual decision to let go. Afterwards, I felt completely calm.

"That was… fascinating," I commented after a moment of silence.

"I will warn you that you will probably find what you say or do influenced by me for the next day."

"What about you?"

"I can control your influence on me. Tegan, the mind-meld can be used for other things than meditation. It can be used to retrieve information from another person."

"You mean forcing yourself into their mind."

"Yes."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I have a strong feeling that you will need it for that reason."

"Thank you," I responded. I turned to go out the door.

"Tegan," Sarek called.

"Yes?" I turned to face him.

He raised his hand and split his fingers into a V. "Live long and prosper."

I tried to copy his hand signal, but couldn't. I resolved for echoing his words. Then I left his small house and went back to my bed.


	8. Chapter 8

Here's another chappie. My updates shouldn't take too long. I have most of the story written down in a notebook and schoolwork is easy right now. As always, please review.

The next day, we didn't have anything planned. I took a book I had brought and went to a nearby field. I sat under a tree and started reading.

About half an hour later, I heard three familiar voices. I had a sneaking suspicion of who the voices belonged to and decided to surprise them.

I quickly climbed up the tree, hidden from view by its dense foliage. I watched as Data, Geordi LaForge, and Wesley Crusher stopped under the tree. Geordi picked up the book I had left on the ground. He was wearing his visor.

"Someone left their book," the blind man said. "_Star Wars: The Original Trilogy_." He opened the front cover. "No name written here."

I dropped down from my perch and silently landed behind them. "It's my book," I stated.

"Tegan?" asked Wesley and Geordi in unison.

My response was a smile. Wesley instantly hugged me, then kissed my cheek.

After we let go, I asked, "What are you three doing here?"

"We're supposed to be meeting someone. But we just found out that they can't get to us for a few days," answered Wesley.

"Really? Have you rented a house here for those few days?" I asked.

"Yes," Data replied.

"I have a friend with the same story as yours. He was in an accident and was separated from his wife and son. He's here to meet someone as well," I told them.

"What's his name?" inquired Geordi.

I grinned. "I should I tell you. You didn't tell me that you would be here."

"You did not ask," Data pointed out.

I thought for a moment, then said, "Fair enough. His name is Sarek."

Data, Geordi, and Wesley glanced at each other, then looked back at me. "Ambassador Sarek?" asked Wesley. "Silver hair that covers his ears, some kind of ornate robes, slanted eyebrows?"

"You know him?"

"He was a fellow… passenger," Geordi explained.

"Are you here to meet the same person?"

"Yes," Data answered. "Will you take us to him?"

"Sure."

Minutes later, I knocked on Sarek's door. The silver-haired man opened it and let us in.

"Data, LaForge, Crusher," Sarek greeted, bowing his head. "Tegan, thank you for bringing them here. I must ask you to leave, though. The four of us have a lot to discuss."

I masked my disappointment and quietly stepped out od the house.

I spent the next few days dividing my time between the five friends I had come with, my three out-of-place friends, and Sarek.

It was now Saturday morning. My five friends and I had started walking to the nearest town. We had just left the tourist villa when a voice cried out in my head, 'Help me!'

'Sarek?' I asked in kind.

'Help me!' Sarek repeated.

Sarek needed me, which meant I had to leave my friends. I knew I couldn't involve them in this.

"Uh, guys," I said weakly as I stopped walking.

"Yeah?" they asked.

"I-I don't feel so good. I'll just go lay down and rest."

"Then we'll stay with you," replied Brian.

"I'll be alright by myself."

"Are you sure? We could always go tomorrow," said Sherri.

"I'm sure. I'll be fine," I told them before turning back and walking fast. If I had known what lay in store for me, I would've hugged each of them tightly.


	9. Chapter 9

Wow. Chapter 9 already. Thank you for reviewing. By the way, I'm also doing a story called Death's Shadow in the Deep Space Nine section.

When my friends were out of sight, I sprinted to Sarek's house. I pounded on the door. It swung open on the second strike.

The interior of the house was a complete mess. Furniture was overturned, cushions ripped apart, various household items were smashed all over the floor, and there was a smattering of green liquid on a wall.

I nearly jumped as something in a pile of glass moved. There was a person laying facedown in the glass. I kneeled down and turned the person over onto his back.

"Wesley!" I gasped.

He was unconscious. His face was developing a bruise. Cuts from the glass were all over his body. His shirt was ripped halfway off. There was a long, deep slash going from his collarbone to left side. It as fresh, not even ten minutes old.

I gently dragged Wesley out of the glass to a less harmful spot on the floor. I filled a cup with water and cradled his head in my lap. I opened his mouth a little and slowly poured the water in.

When Wesley started to sputter and cough, I dumped the rest of the water o his face to wake him up. His eyes opened and he tried to sit up. I gently held him down, saying, "Not yet. Wait for a moment."

Wesley breathed deeply and asked, "What happened?"

"You tell me," I replied before kissing his forehead. "But in good time. Can you walk?"

"Help me up."

I put Wesley's arm over my shoulders and walked his up to his feet. The instant he put weight on his left foot, he cried out and almost fell over. I caught him around the waist before he hit the floor.

I steadied him and we slowly went to the house he, Geordi, and Data. When we arrived at the house, I knocked on the door. Geordi opened it and a look of shock came on his face.

"Wesley, what happened to you?" the brown-skinned man asked.

Wesley's pain was so great that he couldn't answer. Geordi and I helped him into the living room and onto the couch. Data came over to examine his wounds.

"Tegan, there is a bag on Geordi's bed. Please bring it to me," Data said.

I nodded once and went to the bedroom. I saw the bag and went over to pick it up. When I turned around, there was a strange man in front of me. He had deepset, hooded eyes and wore a brown jumpsuit uniform.

"Is this the temporary residence of Data, Geordi LaForge, and Wesley Crusher?" he asked.

"Why do you want to know? How did you get in here?"

"That isn't for you do know," his gruff voice replied.

I slowly backed up to the phone. "Well then, I guess I'll have to call the police," I threatened.

"I can't allow you to do that." The man lunged at me the second my hand touched the phone.

I dropped to the floor and kick his legs out from under him. He quickly got up. I brought my elbow across his face, then did a backfist to the side of his head. He grabbed my wrist and twisted me around until he had me held tightly against him, my back to his front. I snapped my head back to break his nose.

After a second, the man said, "Look, girl, I don't want to hurt you."

I was about to respond when Data came into the room. "Constable Odo, will you please let Tegan go?"

"You know him?" I stopped struggling.

"You know her?" the man asked at the same time.

Data nodded. "Odo, this is Tegan. Tegan, this is Odo."

Odo let me go. "I apologize, Tegan."

"It's alright, I understand," I replied.

Odo turned to Data. "We have a five-minute window of opportunity. Are all of you here and ready?"

"Three of us are here," Data answered.

We went to the living room. Geordi was doing what he could for the injured Wesley. The pain was still too much for him to be able to speak. I stood next to him and started stroking his hair.

"Constable Odo," Geordi greeted. "Does this mean that the transporters have been repaired?"

"We have temporarily broken through the planetary shield. Where is Ambassador Sarek?"

"We do not know," Data answered. "Wesley went to get him and came back injured."

"We'll have to find him later," resolved Odo.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "Transporters? Planetary shields? Where are you all from? Do you have to leave?"

At this, Wesley reached up and grabbed my hand. This action didn't go unnoticed.

"How much does Tegan know?" Odo inquired.

"Enough," was my answer.

Odo sighed, then tapped the gold badge on his brown uniform. "Odo to Enterprise."

"Enterprise here," a male voice said through the badge.

"Five ready for beam-up. Have a medical and security team ready to receive us."

"Understood."

Odo waited a few seconds before saying, "Energize."


	10. Chapter 10

New chappie. It might be a couple of days until the next one. As always, thanks for reviewing and continue to do so.

There was a strange feeling in my body. Seconds later, the five of us were on a platform in a room with one computer console. A woman in a yellow and black uniform was at the console. A moment after, three people in blue uniforms and three people in yellow uniforms came in. the people blue put Wesley on a stretcher, led by a woman with red hair. The people in yellow were being led by a brown-skinned man with large forehead ridges.

Right after the medical team had lifted Wesley onto the stretcher, he took hold of my wrist and pulled me down to his level. "Seifer," he whispered. Then the medical team took him, the red-haired woman waving a hand-held device over him.

"I assume that she is the reason you called us," the security leader said to Odo.

"Yes," Odo answered.

The security officer turned to me. "I am Lieutenant Worf. You are to qietly come with us to the brig, where you will be held until we decide what to do with you."

"Yes, sir," I respectively replied.

"Why take her to the brig? She may know something that we don't. we should take her to the meeting," Geordi suggested.

Worf let out a huff of air before tapping his gold badge. "Worf to Captain Picard."

"Picard here. Go ahead."

"We have a girl here who has apparently spent some time with Lieutenants Data and LaForge and Ensign Crusher. LaForge has suggested that she knows something important."

"He suggested that she attend the meeting?"

"Yes, sir."

There were a couple seconds of silence before, "She may attend. Picard out."

"Looks like you'll be coming with us," Geordi said to me with a smile.

Data, Geordi and I filed out of the room behind Worf and Odo. The two other officers walked behind us. As we walked through the corridors, I looked around in amazement. "Is this a spaceship?" I asked Data.

"Yes, it is."

"And it's from the future, right?"

"Yes."

"So, my dream of Zephram Cochrane happened, didn't it?"

"Yes."

"Worf is an alien."

"He's a Klingon. The only one in Starfleet."

"And Starfleet is and exploratory and scientific organization mostly made up of Humans," I stated.

"Yes."

"Sarek is also an alien."

"He is the Vulcan ambassador for the United Federation of Planets."

We came to the turbolift. we went in and Worf said, "Bridge," and we started going up.

"Data, you're not Human either," I stated.

"Correct. I am an android."

"Really? How-"

Data cut me off as the turbolift door opened. "I will answer your other questions later. And so you know, there is another Federation ship in orbit with us called the Defiant."

I nodded to show my understanding and took my first step onto the Bridge of the Enterprise.

It was spacious and comfortable-looking. From the row of consoles at the back to the three command chairs in the middle to the two consoles at the front, the floor sloped down. Through the viewscreen I could see my homeplanet Earth. I could see Africa and Europe right now.

My steps slowed as we passed by the viewscreen my breath hitched. I felt Geordi's comforting hand on my back, gently nudging me forward.

We went into a conference room. Worf stayed on the Bridge. The two security officers stood outside the door.

Odo took a seat next to a woman in a reddish uniform with nose ridges. I sat between Data and Geordi. The three of us looked very out-of-place in our Earth clothes. Data introduced me to everyone, and the meeting began.

The Enterprise and Defiant had chased some Cardassian ships to this place and time period. The Cardassians were in orbit on the other side of the planet. Their goal was unknown. Then the mysterious disappearance of Ambassador Sarek, his son, Spock, and his wife, Amanda, had led to Data, Geordi, and Wesley preparing to investigate. Then they had disappeared.

At this point, Captain Picard asked me to tell how I had met the three officers and what happened. So, I told them the story.

"And did you meet Sarek?" asked Commander Riker, the first officer of the Enterprise.

"Yes, on the train to the villa in Scotland," I answered.

"Did he talk to you?" Major Kira, the ridge-nosed woman asked.

"Yes, he told me that he had been separated from his wife and son. He was going to the villa to meet someone."

"Where were you when Ensign Crusher was injured?" Picard inquired.

"I was with my friends, going to the nearby town."

"What made you go back?"

"Sarek called for help."

"How?"

"He called for me telepathically."

"Isn't the only possible way for a Human to receive a telepathic message from a Vulcan is if their minds are linked?" responded Lieutenant Jadzia Dax, the woman with violet spots along her neck and hairline.

"On the train, I expressed great interest in learning meditation methods from Sarek. I went to see him every night. One night, he-I-we… we mind-melded," I explained.

"You mind-melded with Ambassador Sarek?" asked Captain Benjamin Sisko of the Defiant.

"Yes," I assured.

"What did you find when you went back?" Picard asked.

I took a deep breath. "The house was ransacked. Green… blood was spattered on a wall. I found Wesley in a pile of broken glass. There was no trace of Sarek. I know Sarek isn't Human. Was the green blood his?"

"Yes," Data answered. "Vulcan blood is copper based, which makes it green."

"The question is: Who kidnapped Sarek? The Cardassians?" said Sisko.

Then I remembered the one word Wesley had said to me. "Seifer," I said quietly.

"What?"

"Before the medics took Wesley, he told me who took Sarek. A British boy named Seifer Aldridge and his gang took Sarek and stopped Wesley from interfering."

"But why would a boy want to kidnap him?" Kira wondered aloud.

We all realized it at the same time. We all said variations of, "Seifer is working for the Cardassians."

"Tegan, do you know this Seifer Aldridge?" asked Odo.

"I've known him for about two years."

"Would it be in his character to do this?"

"He's been in trouble with the law before, but I never thought he'd go this far." I put my face in my hands. "In fact, it was out of character for him to go to Scotland in the first place. He claims he doesn't like to travel."

"We still haven't figured out why the Cardasssians would come back to this time period, to this planet," Odo commented. "To my knowledge of Earth history, nothing major happened."

"Odo has a point," replied Dax. "Nothing major happened here for about five years. But, there are subtle things in history that set off the major events."

Picard and Sisko nodded.

"The suggested course of action would be to find a major event and work backwards to find what initiated it," said Data.

"We can't forget about Ambassador Sarek and his family," Dax reminded.

"There's also the anti-transporter shield the Cardassians put over Earth," Riker put in.

"Captain Sisko, I expect you'll divide your crew to these three tasks as I will," said Picard.

Sisko nodded.

"Dismissed," the Enterprise captain announced.

When the crew of the Defiant left, Geordi said, "Captain, you've left something unattended."

"Right, the girl," replied Picard. "Any suggestions?"

"We should keep her onboard for the time being," answered Deanna Troi, the catsuited woman with dark curly hair. "She may be of use to us. And, she is different from other young Humans I have encountered."

"Still, she could be a spy," suggested Riker.

"Data, Geordi?" Picard prompted.

The android and the blind man glanced at eachother. "We trust her with our lives."

"Then, she'll stay," the captain decided. "Geordi, please escort her to a guest room, then join Data in Engineering. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Captain Picard," I said with sincerity.


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I sprained my wrist a week ago and it's still giving me trouble. Please keep reviewing. On with the story.

I followed Geordi to the turbolift. "Deck fourteen," he commanded.

The turbolift went down. I followed Geordi to my quarters after it stopped. It was divided into three rooms: bedroom, central area, and "refresher." Geordi showed me how to use the replicator. He also gave me a gold commbadge that I was to wear whenever I wasn't in my quarters.

I stared out the window at my homeplanet in space. Looking around at all the inky blackness spotted with tiny small lights, I realized how small Earth was. "It's… it's so beautiful," I breathed. "Don't you think so, Geordi?"

"I wouldn't know."

"But that visor helps you see."

"Not as you see. My vision consists of the electromagnetic spectrum and other such things."

"Oh," was my reply.

"Is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you. I'd rather be here than in the brig."

"You're welcome." He left to go to Engineering.

My first order of business was to change my clothes. I had the computer show me the standard everyday civilian clothing. The samples mostly consisted of jumpsuits of different colors. I chose one with a black torso and legs with short grey sleeves. I told the computer to replicate it. It appeared in the replicator neatly folded. I changed into it and placed my "Earth" clothes into a drawer. I expected to be here for a while.

I sighed and replicated an incense candle, then lit it. The smell of rainwater filled the room. I told the computer to dim the lights to one-fourth power.

I sat on my knees, closed my eyes, and brought my hands together, splitting the fingers into a V.

I meditated for at least an hour and a half. The door chimed. "Come," I said.

I heard the door slide open, then closed. I finished up my meditation before turning around to see the person. "Computer, lights to full power."

The catsuited, curly-haired Deanna Troi was standing there. "You're the one who suggested I stay," I remarked. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm Counselor Deanna Troi."

"A counselor," I replied. "I don't really like talking to counselors."

"Why?"

"One: I have no need to. Two: unless they have truly been through what their client has been through, they aren't really helpful. As long as we don't have a counselor-patient relationship, I'm sure we'll get along well. Another thing, you're an empathy, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"I can feel you reading my emotions as we speak."

"Impressive. You are different from other young Humans. Do you meditate every day?"

"One to two hours."

"That pose you were in, it's a traditional Vulcan one."

"Sarek taught me. Troi, what do you think the Cardassians will do to Sarek?"

Troi sat down at the computer desk. She typed a few keys and beckoned me over. On the screen was the image of a humanoid man. His face had ridges all over and his neck was serpentine. A spoon-shaped ridge was in the middle of his forehead. His skin was grey.

"This is Gul Dukat of the Cardassians. He's in charge of the four ships on the other side of Earth. The Cardassians are rather well-known for their brutality towards their prisoners, guilty or innocent. And because Sarek is such an important figure in the galaxy in our time period…" Troi's voice trailed off.

"They'll want information," I finished. "And they'll torture him for it."

"That is my belief."

"I have to do something," I sighed. "I can't just sit here and let him be tortured."

"Tegan, I promise we'll let you know if we find anything," the counselor replied.

"Thank you."

She turned to leave. Then she turned back to me. "Oh, by the way, I spoke with Wesley in Sickbay."

"How is he?" I asked.

Troi smiled. "He wants to see you. I'll take you there."

I nodded, put on my black gym shoes (the only part of my Earth attire that would wear for my entire time on the Enterprise) and commbadge, then followed Troi to Sickbay.

Wesley was sitting up on a bed. There weren't any doctors or nurses around him. I called his name and he turned, eagerly awaiting me.

"How are you doing?" I asked, gingerly hugging him.

"Better. I see that you'll be with us for a while," Wesley cheerfully replied before kissing my cheek.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," Troi said before leaving as the red-haired doctor walked in.

"Lovebirds?" she asked when the door slid closed behind the counselor.

Wesley smiled. "Tegan, this is my mom, Doctor Beverly Crusher. Mom, this is Tegan."

"Nice to meet you," Beverly and I said while shaking hands.

"Mom, she had to beam up with us because she knows so much," Wesley explained.

"Well, it looks like she'll be staying with us for at least a couple of days." Beverly waved a scanner in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Checking your medical condition," she answered. She closed the scanner. "You're in good physical condition. But it's protocol to have anyone staying on the ship for an extended period of time receive a blood test. If you'll come with me."

I followed her to a lab and sat down in a chair.

"I suppose they still have needles in the future," I commented.

"Needles? No. we use hyposprays," the doctor replied, showing me one. The blood drawing only took a quick moment. "Thank you. I'll run it through the tests after I check Wesley over."

We went back to Sickbay. Beverly checked Wesley's condition and concluded, "You'll be fine. I'm relieving you of duty for a full twenty-four hours and advising you to take it easy."

"Mom, I live with you. You'd be the first to know if I over-exerted myself."

Beverly smiled. "Still, I'm sure you'll tell me if he does, Tegan."

I grinned at Wesley. "Don't worry, Doctor. I won't let him out of my sight."


	12. Chapter 12

Just a quick update before karate class. The reason I was inspired to write this was because of the dream I had. I woke up before the dream was over. This is about as far as the dream got. I felt the need to develop and end it. On with the story.

I gave Wesley some privacy as he changed into a grey uniform. Then we left Sickbay. Wesley took me to Ten-Forward, the recreation lounge. We went to the bar. A brown-skinned woman in a purple tunic and a wide purple hat came up and asked us what we wanted. Wesley introduced her as Guinan.

"May I have Plo'meek Stew?" I asked without hesitation.

"Plo'meek Stew?" Guinan echoed. "I only get an order like that from the few Vulcans we have on board. And you, Wesley?"

"Just an Andorian juicer is fine for me."

Guinan was back in aminute with my food and Wesley's drink. How had I even known what Plo'meek Stew was?

"Thanks, Guinan," Wesley told her. I nodded my head to show my appreciation before we went to find a table.

"Hey, Wes," someone called out.

At a far table was Troi and Riker. The first officer was waving at us.

"Commander, Counselor," Wesley addressed as we sat at the table.

"Well, if it isn't the two young lovebirds," Riker grinned.

I glared at Troi. "Have you already told the entire ship about Wesley and me?"

"No. Only Will."

"Tell anyone else and I'll tell them about you and Riker," I teased.

"How'd you know about us? Everyone else thinks we're just friends," Riker responded.

"I guess I have a little empathic ability," I replied.

"So, Tegan, what do you think of this ship?" asked Riker after a few seconds.

I answered after a couple of spoonfuls of stew. "Well, I haven't seen it all yet, but from what I've seen, it's amazing. It like all the sci-fi books I've read."

"You know, most less technologically advanced people would've said that with a bit more emotion in their voice," Troi remarked.

"Maybe Sarek has awakened the inner Vulcan in me," I joked.

Riker, Troi, Wesley, and I spent the next half-hour talking. Despite Riker's initial suspicion of me, he was really a charming man.

Afterwards, Wesley took me to the 'holodeck.' We stopped outside a door.

"Computer, load forest program. Time: early morning," Wesley said into the computer console next to the door.

"Program ready," the computer replied.

Wesley took my hand in his and lead me through the door. Inside was a forest. It went on as far as I could see, on all four sides. The door had disappeared.

"This is impossible," I breathed. "We're on a starship. It can't be real."

"In the holorooms, anything can be real," countered Wesley.

I placed a hand on a tree and slid down the trunk until I was sitting on my knees in the dirt. With my other hand, I picked up some dirt and let it slip through my fingers. It all felt real.

"How big is the actual room?" I asked.

"Ten meters by ten meters."

I stood up and walked ten meters from where the door had been. "So, by everything I know, I shouldn't be able to go any further." I took another step. "Fascinating," I breathed.

"Computer, change program to ski program. Time: late afternoon."

In a few seconds, the forest changed to a snowy mountain side. A ski lodge was visible at the top of the mountain. I breathed in the cold air. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. Then I felt something cold and wet hit the back of my head.

I quickly turned to Wesley. "You are aware of the fact that neither of us are dressed for a snowball fight." Then I packed a handful of soft snow into a snowball. I threw it it and it hit him on the side of his head.

Then we got into a full-on snowball fight. When it ended, we rolled around in the snow. We stopped after a few rolls. I ended up on top of him.

"Do you think this counts as overexerting yourself?" I asked him.

"I feel fine," Wesley answered before kissing my lips. "I was so happy to find you in Scotland."

"So was I. Now I'm here, in your world."

The next day, I spent some time exploring the Enterprise. I was considered a civilian, which meant that there were some places I wasn't allowed to go by myself.

During my walk, I came across Odo. I called his name.

"Yes?" he asked.

"May I have a friendly talk with you?"

"Alright."

"What's your job on the Defiant?"

He looked a little taken aback at my bluntness. "Chief of Security."

"Of course. Your special talents make you perfect for that position."

"And what special talents do you perceive me to have?"

"Shapeshifting."

"Did anyone tell you?"

"No."

"Ah, then you must be empathic."

"That's what they say. Any progress on finding Sarek?"

"Not a single lead."

"Odo, you'll keep me posted, right?"

"Well, seeing as you're one of only a few close to Sarek, I'll have to."

"Thank you."

Then Odo noticed my clay pendant necklace. "Did Sarek give that to you?"

"No. It's been passed down in my family for a few generations. Why do you ask?"

"The engraved symbol resembles something Vulcan, I believe. May I borrow it for study?"

"Sure," I said, taking it off. I felt strange without its presence on me. I hadn't taken it off since the day my dad had given it to me, two years ago.

Odo thanked me and took his leave.

I spent an hour and a half in a Vulcan temple in holoroom three. While meditating, I realized that there was another presence inside me. It was still me, but… different somehow. Was it the residue of Sarek's mind-meld? Or was it something deeper?

Pondering these questions, I finished up my meditation and left the temple.


	13. Chapter 13

Major revelations in this chapter. Please review, I'll update faster if you do. On with the story.

The next day, I was called to the observation lounge. Picard, Doctor Crusher, Troi, Data, and Kira were there, waiting for me.

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" I asked as I sat down.

"No," Troi answered.

"We have found the reason why the Cardassians are here. We do not know if they know yet," said Data.

"And…?" I prompted.

Everyone shifted a little in their chairs. It was obvious that they had discussed whether or not to tell me.

"You are the reason," Data spoke.

"What?" I hissed in disbelief. "What did- what will I do?"

"Five years from now, you will persuade your government to fund space exploration projects. This will lead to Zephram Cochrane creating the first warp drive, which will result in official first contact with the Vulcans. Because of your efforts, Cochrane had the resources to build his prototype," the android explained.

"You can't possibly mean me, Tegan Lanson," I protested.

"I double-checked my research. Without you, Starfleet and the Federation would not exist."

I sighed. "That's very comforting. You said that you don't know if the Cardassians have figured this out yet."

"At the moment, it seems as though they don't," Kira answered.

"So, I have to stay on this ship until the threat is over," I concluded.

"Yes," confirmed Picard.

I put my head in my hands and let out a long breath.

"There's more," said Troi.

I asked, "What more could there be?"

Odo began. "I had your pendant necklace analyzed. The engraved symbol is old Vulcan writing for 'healer.' The clay is from the planet Vulcan."

"Fascinating," was all I could say.

"Your blood test had interesting results," Beverly Crusher told me. "I even had Doctor Bashir confirm it. You have copper in your blood. You're part Vulcan."

"It could just be copper traces from handling metal," I reasoned.

"It's more than just traces."

"Besides, your family history says otherwise," Picard said.

"My dad was adopted. It wouldn't be accurate."

"We found who his biological parents were," said Data. "Carson and Cheryl Day. Cheryl's parents were Ben Jonson and T'par Vulca. T'par was a Vulcan healer who disappeared while traveling to Andoria. Apparently, she crash-landed on Earth."

"You're saying that I am a Vulcan descendant."

"Your DNA proves it," Beverly assured.

"It makes sense," I said, going over to the window and staring out into space. "I have always been prone to prefer logic over the abstract. I have always been much more emotionally reserved than everyone I knew. I knew Sarek awakened something in me. And T'par passed down the necklace." I took in a deep breath. "Well," I said calmly. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"That's all," answered Picard. "You're dismissed."

I silently walked out of the room and across the bridge to the turbolift. I saw Wesley glance at me, a concerned look on his face.

Troi followed me into the turbolift. "You handled all that extremely well," she commented.

"It must've been the Vulcan part of me kicking in," I replied. "Deck Ten," I told the lift. "Troi, I was always different. Always very mature and intelligent for my age. Always looking at the logical side of things."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked the counselor as the lift stopped at Deck Ten.

"No. If you don't mind, I'm going to get something to eat."

I went to Ten-Forward, got a bowl of Plo'meek Stew, and sat at the table closest to the window. I could see the continents of Asia and Australia.

Minutes later, Guinan sat down in the chair across from me. "Yes?" I asked her.

"You seemed lonely," was her response.

"I'm not lonely, I just..." I swallowed. "I just value my solitude."

"There's more to it than that. Tegan, I come from a race of people called the El-Aurians, the Listeners. We usually know when a person is bothered by something."

"Well, I just found out that the reason why the Federation and Starfleet exist is because of me. Also, my great-grandmother was a Vulcan. The question is: what do I do now?"

"Are you asking for my advice?"

I gave a weary nod.

"Do what you've always done. These things have a habit of working themselves out."

"I take it that you have experience."

"400 years' worth."

I smiled. "At least I'm sure of one thing."

"What's that?"

"I'm Tegan Lanson."


	14. Chapter 14

Next chappie. I won't be able to access a computer during spring break. Please review. On with the story.

The next couple of days passed without incident. There wasn't any progress on locating Sarek or disabling the Cardassians' anti-transporter field.

At the moment, I was practicing Kuk Sool Won in holoroom 5. Suddenly, my commbadge chirped.

"Tegan, please report to the Bridge immediately," said Riker's voice.

I tapped the my commbadge. "On my way."

I didn't bother to change out of my karate outfit and hurried to the Bridge. I made it there within a couple of minutes. I stopped walking down the Bridge's slope when I saw what was going on on the viewscreen.

"What the hell…?"I asked.

"The Cardassians are firing their weapons near where you found Data, Geordi, and Wesley," Riker answered.

"Oh no," I breathed.

The Cardassians stopped their attack a few seconds later.

"Captain, we're being hailed," reported Worf.

"Tegan, go against the wall. They won't see you. Worf, onscreen."

I backed up against the side wall as the image of Gul Dukat on the bridge of his ship appeared on the viewscreen. In the background, I could see Seifer Aldridge.

"Picard, Sisko," Dukat addressed. He must've hailed both ships simultaneously. "I warned you what would happen if you followed us. Leave this system now."

"We know what you intend to do," replied Picard. "We'll stop you from doing so."

"You can try," Dukat said. "As a show of good faith, I won't attack the planet again." Then the communication was cut.

"Could you zoom in on the affected area?" I asked the captain.

"Data, magnify affected area," Picard ordered.

"Magnifying, sir," the android said, keying in commands on his console.

Almost instantly, the screen was filled up with an image of two streets. I knew that my family was safe. Still, one of the streets I was very familiar with. "Daniel," I gasped. His house had suffered a direct hit.

"Data, check for injured life signs," Riker commanded.

"Minimal injuries, sir," Data reported after a moment. "Except one. It is critically injured."

"How far away is the nearest hospital?"

"Thirty miles, sir."

"Captain, please beam him up. I know him," I pleaded.

Wesley turned to look at me. "Daniel?" he asked.

I grimly nodded.

"Transporter Room Three," Picard said into his commbadge.

"Ensign Thompson here."

"Lock onto life-sign at these coordinates and beam directly to Sickbay."

"Yes, sir."

I didn't wait to be dismissed to hurry down to Sickbay. By the time I got there, they already had Daniel Barbier on an operating bed. Beverly and the nurses were suiting up. I stayed out of their way. Daniel had a plasma burn covering his left side and shoulder, his left arm was broken, and bits of glass and metal in his arms and torso.

I stood by, watching as the doctor and two nurses worked to save Daniel's life. When they were done, all I could do was wait for him to wake up.

I pulled up a chair next to his bed and took his hand in both of mine. I didn't know how long I sat there, waiting.

I awoke to the sound of soft moaning and opened my eyes. A slight smile crept across my face when I felt an answering pressure from my friend's hand.

"Nurse," I called when Daniel's eyes fluttered open.

Daniel blinked at me. "Tegan? What are you doing here? Where am I?" he asked before sitting up.

I gently pushed him back down. "I'll tell you later. Right now, you must recover."

Nurse Alyssa Ogawa came in. "Looks like our patient is awake," she remarked while waving a medical scanner over his body. "And stable." She tapped her commbadge . "Ogawa to Doctor Crusher."

"Crusher here."

"Daniel Barbier is awake and stable."

"On my way. Crusher out."

"Daniel, Doctor Crusher will be here in a few minutes."

Daniel winced in pain as he tried to nod his head.

As the nurse walked away, my teacher asked, "What's her name?"

"Alyssa Ogawa."

"Pretty name."

I smiled and shook my head. "Still the same old Daniel."

"Tegan, the last thing I remember is a flash of green light. What happened?"

"Your house fell on you. I'll explain everything later," I answered when Beverly came in.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like a house fell on me, which is apparently what happened," answered Daniel.

"At least you have your wits about you. Can you sit up?"

Beverly kept him for a few hours until she was comfortable with him leaving Sickbay. She gave him a white and blue flightsuit to wear and sent him on his way.


	15. Chapter 15

I have no excuse for not updating. I'll give you multi-chapters over the next eek to make up for it. Please review.

Chapter 15

I took Daniel to the turbolift, said "Deck Ten," and gingerly hugged him.

As soon as we stepped off the turbolift, he said, "I know we're not at Cambridge Hospital. This place is too Star Warsy."

Once outside the door to Ten-Forward, I told him to close his eyes. "When I tell you to open them, do so slowly."

"Alright," Daniel agreed, closing his eyes.

I grabbed his hand and led him around the tables until we reached the window. "Open your eyes."

Daniel did so, taking in the view of Earth surrounded by white-spotted blackness. He backed up in shock. I guided him backwards and down into a chair.

"Is that…?" he asked.

"Yes."

"So, we're in…?"

"Yes, Daniel. We're on a starship in space."

"But, how? Not possible…"

"Daniel, in a moment I will explain everything to you. I'll be right back." I got up and asked Guinan for a glass of ice-cold water and a bowl of Plo'meek stew. . I brought it back to the table and set the water in front of my teacher. I took a bite of my stew before starting. "It all began when I met Data, Geordi, and Wesley…"

I told Daniel everything that had happened and everything I knew, ending with my heritage. "I'm not entirely Human."

"What else could you be?"

I looked around the room until I saw a Vulcan engineer playing 3-D chess with his friend. "The man with the pointed ears playing chess. He's a Vulcan. My great-grandmother was a Vulcan."

For the first time, Daniel drank some water. Then he took a few deep breaths. "Okay, so… we're on a starship from the future that time-travelled back to this time to stop these… Cardassians… from preventing this whole United Planets thing from happening. And my favorite student and friend has our whole future in her hands, and she's part… Vulcan. Anything else?"

"No. You've got the gist of it," I replied.

My friend sighed and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. I went behind him, laid my head on the back of his shoulder, and wrapped my arms around him.

"If anything happens, at least we'll have eachother," I whispered in his ear.

Daniel turned to face me and smiled. "You're right." Then his expression turned serious. "Tegan, what do your friends and family think happened to you?"

"To be honest, I stopped thinking of that when I was beamed up," I answered. "What's important I what happens here and now. Come on, I'll take you to your room."

On the way to the guest quarters, we came across Jadzia Dax.

"Lieutenant," I addressed.

Dax smiled. "No need to be so formal with me, Tegan. We picked up a news broadcast from England. Government officials are saying that the attack was only an unpredicted meteor shower."

I nodded. "It's better that they don't know what really happened. Any word on Sarek?"

"No, I'm sorry. If you'll excuse me, I have to go see Data." Dax took her leave.

Daniel's assigned quarters were next to mine. I showed him around his room and told him to take it easy.


	16. Chapter 16

Here ya go. Please review, as always.

Chapter 16

In the late afternoon the next day, I was practicing my Kuk Sool Won techniques in the holodeck with a holographic partner. What I needed was someone I could really be challenged by. I knew that Worf was off-duty now and that he taught a martial arts class.

"Computer: Arch," I ordered. The doorway appeared in the middle of the training dojo. "Tegan to Worf," I said into the Arch comm panel.

"Worf here. What do you need?"

"Well… I could use a worthy martial arts opponent."

"Are you challenging me?"

"If that is how you wish to interpret my invitation."

"I accept. I will be there in fifteen minutes. Worf out."

I spent the next fifteen minutes training with my favorite weapon: the long staff. Worf came in, followed by a crowd of people, including the senior officers and Daniel with Alyssa Ogawa.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"It's not everyday that someone challenges Worf," Wesley answered before kissing my cheek. "Have fun."

Daniel wished me luck as well. I noticed his physical closeness with Alyssa and grinned. He returned the grin sheepishly before joing the rest of the spectators around the sparring arena.

Worf picked up a staff from the weapons rack and stepped into the arena. "You've chosen the staff. Why?"

"It dispatches your opponent without killing them. It also happens to be my favorite."

"I am not responsible for any injuries inflicted upon you," Worf cautioned.

"I wouldn't hold you responsible, for it would be my foolishness to challenge a Klingon in the first place."

We respectively bowed to eachother, then stepped back into starting positions. I let him attack first.

The spar lasted around ten minutes. What I lacked in strength, I made up for in speed. What Worf lacked in speed, he made up for in strength. I was glad for the challenge. None of my former sparring partners had been this intense.

Worf scored a few good hits, and so did i. the spar ended when the Klingon faked a strike to my head, which I fell for, then reversed the staff and swept my legs out from under me. I fell on my back and broke the fall with my arms so that it wouldn't hurt as much. Worf kneeled down at my side and held his staff to my throat. The match was over.

The Klingon helped me up to my feet and we bowed to eachother. "Very impressive," he complimented. "Your challenge was an honor. You will make a great warrior someday."

"Thank you for accepting my challenge."

Worf took his leave. I stayed behind to hear what everyone had to say. Apparently, not even Worf's students could last longer than two minutes against him. I had lasted ten. For the day, I was a celebrity.

I realized how much I would miss them when all this was over. Part of me, the Vulcan part mostly, felt at home here.

Two days later.

I decided to look up my file on the computer. I had been debating whether to do so or not. My curious side had won.

I found that I had never married or had children, but dedicated myself to my lifelong dream of being a zoologist and managing the space exploration program I had founded. I was present at First Contact.


	17. Chapter 17

Next chappie. Things really start to get exciting. As always, review.

Chapter 17

The next day, Daniel and I were summoned to the Observation Lounge for a meeting with the senior staff, minus Riker and Worf.

They had foung two Vulcan life-signs on Earth in Russia. From what the scanners could tell, they were in an abandoned military outpost.

"Unfortunately," Geordi spoke up. "We can't transport down to the planet at all yet. We still haven't been able to break through the anti-transporter field."

"Weren't you able to beam me up?" asked Daniel.

"For maximum damage, the Cardassians had to lower the field," Data explained. "If we had waited a moment longer, we would not have been able to transport you here."

"Oh."

"What about-" I was interrupted by Picard's commbadge chirp.

"Captain, report to the Bridge," Riker's voice said.

"On my way," Picard responded. "Meeting dismissed."

We all got up and headed to the Bridge.

"Captain, the Cardassians are hailing us," Worf reported.

"Tegan, Daniel, stay against the wall. They won't be able to see you," Picard ordered, then sat down in his chair. "Lieutenant Worf, onscreen."

The image of Gul Dukat on the Bridge of his ship appeared on the viewscreen.

"Picard, Sisko, we know who started the Human space exploration programs. We'd have her by now if she were where my Human ally said she was. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

"Dukat, even if we knew, we would not tell you," Picard responded.

"You lie, Picard. You do know. We will find her, one way or another." Then the transmission was cut off.

"Captain, they are raising shields and powering up weopons," reported Worf.

"Raise shields and prepare to return fire."

After a moment, the four Cardassian ships opened fire at us and the Defiant. Even with all the evasive maneuvering, we still were badly hit multiple times. The lights went out, and the Bridge was bathed in red light from the emergency lights.

"Sir, shields are gone," Worf said. "We cannot survive another hit like that."

Picard tapped his commbadge. "Mr. LaForge, can you get us out of here?"

"I'm sorry, Captain," Geordi said from Engineering. "They've taken out everything. It'll take me three hours to fix, at least."

"Sir, our best option is to surrender," Data suggested.

With a deep breath, Picard commanded, "Open a channel to Dukat's ship."

"They're firing at us," the Klingon reported with a growl.

Almost an instant later, we were hit. But not with the weapon that we had been shot with before. Data, Worf, and Wesley were thrown backwards as their consoles set of electrical charges.

The next shot threw Picard, Riker, and Troi from their seats and Daniel and me to the floor. When my vision cleared, I saw ten Cardassians materializing onto the Bridge. The Bridge crew, with the exception of Wesley, who was still recovering from the electric shock, made a move for their phasers. In response, one of the Cardassians ran to me and held his firearm against my head. This made my friends think twice before shooting.

Before the hostile alien could do anything, I disarmed him, smashed his nose with the back of my head, and knocked him out with a discreet Vulcan neck pinch. This distraction was enough for the bridge crew to take out three more of the Cardassians. Unfortunately, one of the remaining six yanked Wesley up to his feet and pressed his firearm into his side. Once again, my friends stopped shooting.

The leader of this team stepped forward and said, "Other teams have been sent to neutralize the civilians and other crewmembers. We are under orders to not hurt the civilians, especially the females. I suggest you all come peacefully."

Picard replied with, "We surrender."

"Good," the leader said. "Lokar, let him go."

The Cardassian holding Wesley let him go, but not before striking him in the temple with the butt of his phaser rifle. Wesley cried out and fell to the floor. I rushed to his side and helped him to his feet.

"Come on," commanded the lead Cardassian, herding us into the turbolift.

We were taken to Deck 14 and were on the way to Sickbay. I had to get off this ship, but where would I go? Then I had an idea.

I leaned over to whisper in Wesley's ear, "No matter what happens, I love you."

"Tegan, what-"

I silenced him with a look, then whispered in Daniel's ear, "The two of us are going to get off this ship. Follow my lead."

"What about the others?" he whispered back.

"We'll rescue them later."

"Stop talking," barked the lead Cardassian.

I decided that now was as good a time to put my plan into action.


	18. Chapter 18

Need more reviews… don't mean to sound greedy. I know how many people are reading this… please take a little time to let me know what you think. Hmmmmmmmm… maybe I'll do an update for every three reviews I get… sorry, I need feedback.

Chapter 18

I took out the Cardassian in front of me with a neck pinch. My friends caught on and fought the hostile aliens to distract them from Daniel and I escaping. They noticed a moment later.

"Get them! Weapons set for stun only!" the leader shouted.

Then they started shooting. The hard part wasn't running and dodging the shots: it was trying to lose our pursuers in the process.

After minutes of running, we went around a corner and into a medical supply room. We heard the Cardassians run past the closed door.

"It's only a matter of time before they realize we're here," Daniel panted.

"I know," I replied, going to the computer console. "Computer, show me the nearest Jeffries tube entrance, then how to get to Transporter room 3 by way of Jeffries tubes."

A blinking green dot showed the nearest entrance, and a green line started from the green dot and ended at a red dot. I took a moment to memorize the route, then told the computer to clear the screen.

"Got it?" asked Daniel.

"Yeah. Let's go," I replied as the door slid open at my presence.

I peered into the hallway and saw no one. Daniel and I hurried to the hatch that went to the Jeffries tubes. They were large enough for us to crawl through side-by-side. Within fifteen minutes, we were looking out of a grate into the transporter room.

Two Carassians were facing the door, their backs to us. One was speaking into his communicator.

"Now what?" Daniel whispered.

"We have the element of surprise," I replied before kicking the grate off the wall and rolling out the shaft.

By the time the Cardassians had taken out their phasers, I had already neck-pinched one. Daniel took out the other with a punch to the temple.

"Do you know how to work that thing?" Daniel inquired.

"I'll figure it out. Computer, what are the coordinates for the Defiant's engineering section?"

After the feminine voice told me, I set it into the console and timed the transport to go in five seconds. Daniel and I jumped onto the transporter pad and dematerialized.

We appeared on the Defiant. The engineering section was deserted.

"Come on," said Daniel. "We need a place to hide. What do you know about this ship?"

"Crew compliment of fifty and is a small Federation battleship."

"Ant idea where to hide?"

"Crew quarters. This way, I think."

We made it to the crew quarters without incident, sneaking past the Cardassians. Once inside a room, we locked the door and I sat down on the bottom bunk.

"Are you alright?" my friend asked.

"Just a bit tired." I sat cross-legged on the bottom bunk and closed my eyes, immersing myself into meditation. I sensed Daniel climbing into the top bunk.

Two hours later, shouts of pain reached my ears and pulled me from my meditation. I pressed my ears to the opposite wall. The shouts were coming from two rooms over. I awakened Daniel and said, "Sounds like someone is being tortured in the room nearby."

"Before we help them, we should change into Starfleet uniforms."

"True. There aren't any civilians on this ship. You go to another room and change."

"Of course," my friend agreed before checking if the corridor was clear and leaving.

I found a blue/black uniform of a science or medical officer and quickly changed. I also found a shoulder bag, which I took for an unknown reason. Daniel came back in a couple of minutes in a red/black uniform of command.

We exited the cramped quarters and entered the occupied room. A quick glance revealed one Cardassian and Odo.

"How did you-" I knocked out the Cardassian before he could finish.

Daniel was kneeling next to Odo. I had never seen the shapeshifter in such a condition before. He looked as though he was decaying.

I kneeled next to him and touched his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Can't revert to my… natural… state."

"Why?"

"Quantum field… gen… generator on Car… dassian."

"Daniel, destroy it."

As soon as my friend had done so, Odo reverted into his liquefied form in the shoulder bag I as holding open for him. I closed it and stood up. "Now we just need to find the rest of the crew," I stated.

"At least this ship isn't as big as the Enterprise," Daniel remarked.

I nodded in response and led the way, with Odo in the bag slung over my shoulder.

We snuck along the corridors, ducking into rooms when needed. It was only a matter of time before we were seen.


	19. Chapter 19

I'm going on vacation for a month with no internet access, but I'll be bringing my laptop, so I'll be writing still. Same deal as before with the reviews.

Interesting thing, though. My sister thought I was 'shipping' Daniel and Tegan. For all you sick perverts out there, that is WRONG. Anyway… on with the story.

Chapter 19

A grey hand grabbed Daniel's shoulder and turned him around. My friend instantly punched the Cardassian in the face, which sent the alien sprawling to the ground. Then Daniel pulled him to his feet and slammed his back against the wall. Daniel was about to strike again when I said, "Wait. I know this one. You're Garak."

"Very good. Did Doctor Bashir point me out to you?"

"Yes. He said-"

"Not here," Garak hissed. "Come with me."

"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Daniel.

"I'm sure that the two of us can overpower him if he tries anything," I said. "Lead on."

The Cardassian took us to his quarters.

"Garak, you are working for the Federation, right?" I asked immediately.

"Yes, but obviously Gul Dukat doesn't know that. He thinks I'm working for him."

"He trusts you?"

"Of course not. He thinks he needs me. As soon as he realizes he doesn't, I'm a dead man." Garak noticed the bag. "What's in there."

"Odo."

"Ah. I presume you have a plan that involves freeing the Defiant's crew."

"Right. I hope you know where they are being held. But Doctor Bashir also told me that you are an accomplished liar. How can we trust you?"

Garak smiled slightly. "You can't."

I returned the smile as I stood very close in front of him, my eyes looking deeply into his. "There is a way to clear up any doubts," I told the Cardassian, raising my hand to his face.

"Really, my dear, I must protest."

"Daniel and I aren't going anywhere with you until we know we can trust you." I pressed slightly on the side of his face with my fingertips and concentrated. "My mind to your mind… my thoughts to your thoughts… our minds are merging… merging… they are one."

This was the first time I had done the mind-meld on someone other than Sarek. Needless to say, it was a different experience.

Garak's mind was still ordered, but emotions and stray thoughts dominated. Sadness, anger, guilt, and especially the desire to go home. He helped the Federation because they would help Cardassia. Elim Garak was loyal and trustworthy.

During the mind-meld, I mistakenly accessed his memories. As soon as I got what I needed, I broke off the meld.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" I started.

"Apologies can be saved for later. Right now, we need a plan," said Garak.

"Where is the crew being held?" asked Daniel.

"The bridge crew is in the Infirmary. Everyone else is in the cargo hold. I suggest we free the bridge crew first."

"How?"

"Simple. You two are already dressed for the part. You'll be my prisoners."

"Of course," Daniel sighed.

"Do you have a better plan?"

"Well… no."

"Then I suggest you start acting the prisoner," Garak said, taking out a phaser.

Daniel and I stood up and slowly walked out of the room, Garak following with the phaser aimed at our backs.

"Did you know he had a gun?" Daniel whispered as we walked to the Infirmary.

"Yes."

"And you didn't bother to tell me?"

"Trust me, Daniel."

"I do trust you. It's him I don't trust."

"That's quite enough talking, you two," Garak warned before four Cardassians passed by.

The three of us made it to the Infirmary without incident. It was being guarded by two Cardassians.

"I found these two trying to hide and was ordered to bring them here," Garak explained to the guards.

They didn't reply, just deactivated the force field around the door and opened the door. Daniel and I quietly walked in and joined the bridge crew. Then the door closed and I heard the reactivation of the force field.

"Are you alright?" Jadzia Dax was the first to ask as she hurried over to us. The expression on her face was one of surprise when she clearly saw our faces. "Tegan? Daniel? What are you doing here?"

"We beamed over from the Enterprise so that Dukat wouldn't find me," I explained. "Garak is giving us fifteen minutes to come up with a plan."

"Then let's get to it," responded Captain Sisko.

"Wait a minute," said Major Kira Nerys. "Tegan, what's in that bag?"

"Odo. When we found him, he was caught in a… quantum stasis field. It stopped him from returning to his natural form," I told her before handing her the bag.

Fifteen minutes later, we had a plan. After Kira hid the bag with Odo inside, we were ready. A moment later, we heard two yelps of surprise and pain outside the door. The door slid open to reveal Garak with a phaser in his hand and two dead Cardassians on the floor.

"Let's go," he said.


End file.
